Have a Nice Life
by zombie hipster
Summary: Brooke Andersons goes out looking for her little brother after he runs away, only to discover the creepy nature of the world he has now joined. -kinda old story
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

"Have you seen this man?"  
"No, I haven't."  
"Have you seen this man?"  
"Nope."  
"How about you?"  
"NO!"

Brooke kept grabbing people as they passed, asking them that same question. Her voice was growing sore from the endless hours she had been asking it, 'Have you seen this man?' She held a photo in her hand of a grinning man with crooked teeth. "Have you seen this man, miss?" she asked a passing woman with a fancy coat. She held up the picture and the woman shooed it away in disgust, walking off. Brooke sighed. 'How long have I been at this?' she thought. She looked at the picture of the man and said, "I will find you." She felt something wet on her hand and looked into the sky.

Rain was beginning to fall and Brooke had no shelter. People with umbrellas rushed by; too selfish to share with her. 'Assholes,' she thought, running into an alleyway. The rain dripped down onto her hair, wetting it. She walked through the dark area, looking for a place of shelter. She saw a large dumpster and sighed. Brooke walked to it, and she lifted one of the lids, resting it on the side, covering a large area and making it dry. She sat under it and shivered from the cold.

Meow!  
"Huh?" Brooke murmured, turning to her side. A cat meowed at her, rubbing its black and white head on Brooke's side. "Hey there," Brooke said to it, putting her hand out for it. The cat sniffed her hand and licked it. A smile spread across Brooke's face. She rubbed its head and said, "You lost?" The cat purred at her and curled up around Brooke's dumpster shelter. It stared up at Brooke with blue eyes. "You're such a cute cat," Brooke murmured, rubbing its back.

Brooke felt the cat rub against her and she woke up. The shower was over. The cat purred, and Brooke put the lid of the dumpster back on. She walked back to the spot she had been, the cat following close to her feet. Brooke found her small bag and through it over her shoulders. The cat brushed against her legs and Brooke ran her hand over its back again, getting more purrs of pleasure. Her bag was a little damp but she knew the things in it were safe.

Brooke felt a slight shiver at the breeze and dug through her pocket, taking the photo out. She unfolded it and looked at the man. "I told you to stay home, stupid," she muttered. "But no! You had to go off after him. Such an ignorant little boy." Brooke let out a short gasp as a breeze picked the photo out of her fingers. "No!" The photo soared through the air and she ran after it below. "Come back!" she shouted, as if it were a puppy running away, not a lightweight picture soaring in the wind.

Brooke stopped walking and panted heavily from running so fast so far. "Excuse me?" said a voice close to her. "Huh?" Brooke looked up and saw her photo, held out to her by a man sucking on a drink. "Is this yours?" he asked, flickering the photo. "Yes, it is," Brooke answered, taking it slowly. "Thank you." The man sucked on his straw and nodded, turning away. He began to walk away.

"Wait!" Brooke shouted, running to him. He turned around and she said, "I forgot to…to ask you a question!" "What question?" the man asked, sucking on the straw. She held up the photo. "Sir, have you seen this man?" The man looked closely at the photo and Brooke already knew his answer was he had not.

Brooke smiled widely and felt her heart leap over the Great Wall of China when the man nodded, adding, "Yes I have seen him." "Oh my God! Really, you have?" Brooke said, overjoyed. "Yeah," he replied. "That's wonderful!" Brooke shouted. "Where? I need to know. 'Cause I do miss him so much." "Who is?" the man asked, sucking on his drink again. "Oh! He's my little brother, sir!" Brooke replied happily, smiling.

"Sir?" Brooke asked, as it seemed as if the man had stopped breathing at 'He's my little brother!' "Sir, are you okay?" she asked him. The man sucked on his drink nervously and said, "Yeah…" "So where did you see him? Was it in this town? Is he in this town?" Brooke asked, biting her lip. "Yeah it was in this town," the man added nervously. "I really gotta go-!" "Please, sir!" Brooke said, grabbing his arm. "I need to know! I have been looking for almost a month! If not for me, but his sisters," Brooke added, sadly. The man looked at her sad face and shook his head. "I gotta go!" he replied, and he left.

The cat jumped up on Brooke's leg but she did not notice. "Atleast I know he's in this town…But when was he seen! Damnit! I should've asked that!" Brooke muttered, almost tearing the photo in her fists. She unfolded it again and looked at it. "Meow," came the cat. "Meow!" Brooke looked down at it. "What is, boy?" she asked it. "Meow…" Brooke looked at towards the street the man had disappeared on.

"Maybe he went home…He must be at his house!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

The house Brooke stood in front of was probably the worst house she had seen in her trip through the state. Worse then that one next to lake, worse then the ones-! Well, it was bad. The windows were boarded up, nailed down with boards. The door was crappy. The paint was gone and it was just wood. "Do I have ta knock on that door?" she groaned. Then she looked at the photo in her hand. "I'll do it for you, little bro. If it means finding you, I'll go to hell and back."

Brooke stood in front of the door, and felt the cat purr at her feet. It had followed her all the way from the alley to the house; it was very fond of her now. It made Brooke feel braver. She gulped and knocked on the door. "Who the hell-!" came a voice, the door opening. "Oh, hello there," the man said to her. "Hi," Brooke said in a weak voice. "I'm sorry-you said you had stuff to do-but I have some more questions. I love my little brother a lot, sir! I have to know!" The man nodded. "When was it you saw him?" Brooke asked. "A week or two ago-!"

"So it was recently!" "Yes, very," the man added. "Where was it, I mean, in the town?" Brooke asked. "Actually, right here," the man said. Brooke's eyes widened. "Then…then…" "Then what?" the man asked, opening the door alittle more and looking at her suspiciously.

"Then you're Nny," Brooke said in a weak voice. "How do you know my name?" the man hissed. "You're Nny," she stammered, horror in her voice. "Answer me!" the man shouted. "How do you know me?" "My brother…you're…you're…his idol…Nny…Nny…" Brooke felt her spine chill and shiver. Her heart was beating so fast in her ears. She couldn't hear what the person in front of her was saying. She could not feel the cat rubbing at her feet. Then the world began to sway and grow blurring. "Shit," the man said when the world went completely black.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Huh?" Brooke muttered. "Where am I?" The world around her was so dark. She blinked a few times to get used to the light. As she was coming back to reality, she felt a sudden jolt of pain at her wrist. She gripped it and saw a cut with a few stitches on it. "What the hell happened to me?" she muttered. "Are you like him?" someone asked her. "Huh?" she whispered, looking around. "Are you like him, I asked," said the voice. "Like who?"

A light went on and Brooke saw the face of the man named Nny. "Like Mmy?" he asked. "Mmy…My little brother, you mean?" Brooke muttered, blinking at the sudden light. "Yeah, him," Nny said. "No," she muttered. "What do you mean by that…like..." she gulped. Was she actually going to say it?

"Like…killing people?" Brooke stuttered at Nny. "Killing, yeah!" he answered. "No, I don't," Brooke added. 'I hate what he does! I hate what you do too!' she almost added, but kept her mouth shut. Nny looked at her suspiciously and she said, "So, you know where Jimmy is? Or was that some sorta set-up?" "No set-up. He was here. You're standing where he stood," Nny said. Brooke gulped.

"I didn't know he had a sister," Nny said. "Sisters. Me, him, and our Bryton," Brooke said. "Where's my bag?" she asked. "Outside. With that cat, I would've brought it in, but I can't touch cats and it was all over the bag," Nny answered. "Then I'm-!" Brooke began, stopping. "Inside my house," Nny finished. "I couldn't just leave a fainted person on my doorstep. That would look suspicious." Brooke was silent. "Do you really kill people?" she asked. "Yes, I do," Nny said. "How can you live with yourself?" Brooke blurted out. She covered her mouth after saying this and watched Nny.

"I kill people who've hurt me, that's how!" Nny snapped. "What's your name?" "Brooke," Brooke muttered. "Where's my brother, Nny?" Nny was quiet. "Where is he?" Brooke said, taking on a harsher tone. Nny did not reply.

"Tell me!" Brooke cried, glaring at him. "Keep speaking and I'll cut your filthy throat, Brooke," Nny finally answered, pointing a bloody knife at her chest. She grew silent and sighed. "Like I said, I haven't seen him for almost two weeks," Nny said. "That answer your question?" "NO!" Brooke shouted. "Where is my Jimmy?!" "In a place with scary cheerleaders," Nny replied. Brooke looked at him strangely and said, "Can I leave?" "Not yet, you have blood and I need blood-!"

"You cut my wrist!" "Yes I did," Nny replied. "The blood on this knife is yours." Brooke looked at the knife, horrified. She gripped her stitched wrist and looked into Nny's face. 'That monster!' she thought. 'How could Jimmy possibly want to be like him?!'


	3. Chapter 3

Brooke sat next to a window, looking outside. "I hate this place," she said. "I miss Bryton. I miss Jimmy. I miss our little house next to the beach. I miss being outside…" She kept naming things she missed and groaned when she heard what sounded like yelling from downstairs, where Nny was. "Probably killing someone," she muttered, feeling her skin grow cold and her hairs rising. Killing made her uneasy. She hated it. It made her think of death and made her remember she would not leave forever. She wanted to be with her little siblings forever, keep them safe.

Brooke stared out the window at a nicer house. She wanted to run away but was too scared to. Nny scared her; he was like the Big Bad Wolf. She was Little Red Riding Hood, but he had not eaten her yet. He was playing with his food, waiting for the right time to gobble her up.

"No please don't kill me!" screamed a voice. "You brought it on yourself, fucker!" followed Nny's voice. Brooke clasped her hands over her ears but could still hear it. She sat her head on the windowsill and looked into the window across from herself. She stared at the fridge. Her stomach growled. "I'm so hungry," she muttered.

Brooke's eyes widened when she saw the light in the room in the window turn on. She watched carefully as a small boy came into the room, hugging a bear. Brooke sat her head up and watched as he talked to it. "Hey!" she said. The boy made a noise and looked at her. "Over here!" she hissed, gesturing to him. The boy moved closer to his window and looked at her.

"Hey, little fellow? What's your name?" she asked him. He made a sound that sounded like 'Squee' and Brooke said, "Hi, Squee. My name's Brooke." Squee did not do anything but stare at her scared. "Squee, do you have any food?" Brooke asked. Squee nodded. "Get me something! I do not give a damn what it is! I'm starving!" Brooke hissed. Squee went to the fridge and held a jar of pickles. "Toss it over! I'll catch it!" Brooke said, holding her hands out. Squee put his bear down and through it to Brooke, who caught it. "Can you leave your house, Squee?" she asked. "Yes," Squee said. "OK! There's a bag outside this house! Can you get that for me?" Squee nodded.

Squee disappeared and Brooke leaned out her window a little to see him standing at the edge of where his yard and Nny's began. "Come on, Squee!" Brooke said. Squee gulped and crossed the line. Brooke waited and heard a hiss. Squee appeared next to the window, bearing a cut on his cheek. He handed the bag to Brooke. "There's a cat there," he said, holding the bear close. "It scratched me." Brooke leaned over, gave Squee a hug, and said, "Thanks, Squee! You're a life saver!" Squee nodded and jumped when Nny shouted, "Die motherfucker!" Squee ran back to his house and Brooke smiled at the jar of pickles.

She took the lid off and took a pickle out. She bit into it and smiled. "Better than the ones back at home," she muttered. She heard footsteps and looked over as Nny came upstairs. He stared at her. "Where'd you get that?" he shouted. "The kid next door gave it to me," Brooke replied. "Squee?" "Yeah him." "And your bag?" Nny hissed. "Squee," Brooke said, pointing at the open window next door. Nny ran over and pushed Brooke to the ground. Brooke put her hand over the pickle jar to stop it from spilling.

"Squee! SQUEE!" Nny shouted. Squee's head appeared and Nny said, "Did you give stuff to her?" Squee nodded his head fearfully. "Ok," Nny said. "Bye." Squee ran off in fear and Brooke looked up at him. To be kind, she held up the pickle jar. "Wanna a pickle?" she asked Nny. He grabbed the jar out of her hand and looked at it. "Sure," he muttered, taking a pickle out. He tossed the jar back to her, spilling some juice on the ground.  
_  
Mom,  
Sorry I haven't been speaking to you lately but I've been busy. Yes, Jimmy did something again. He ran off after Johnny, a guy he idolizes. Johnny kills people, kinda like Jimmy does. Before I go on, I should tell you I did not leave Bryton all alone back at our house. My dear friend Lizzie is watching over her. I'd never leave Bryton alone. Look what happened to Jimmy when I did that!  
Now I tell you what your son did.  
Jimmy ran away.  
And this time, I didn't find him. Or atleast not yet. From what Johnny says, he last saw him in his house. It gives me the creeps, like when Bryton brought home that spider that got loose. I have a bad feeling about this, Mom. But I always make it out alive, don't I?  
Love your daughter,  
Brooke_


	4. Chapter 4

"Brookie!" sobbed Bryton to her older sister as she ran to her, tears streaming down her face. She put her small arms around Brooke's waist and sobbed. Brooke lifted her chin and saw a red mark on her cheek, still fresh. "Bryton, what happened?" Brooke cried out. Bryton sobbed and said, "Jimmy hit me, Brookie! He slapped me across the face!" Bryton cried hard as Brooke put her hand on the stinging mark.

"JIMMY!"  
"Huh?" Jimmy muttered as he heard the sound of his sister from his room. His bedroom door slammed open, Brooke and a crying Bryton standing in its place. "Jimmy, what did you do to your sister?" Brooke snapped at him. "What?" Jimmy asked.

"Let me go!" he hissed when Brooke grabbed his collar and lifted him to his feet off his bed. "Jimmy Anderson, why did you hit her?" Brooke shouted. Bryton cried at her side, tugging at Brooke's shirt. "She wouldn't leave me alone!" Jimmy shouted back. Brooke slapped him across his face-"Damnit!" Jimmy said-and shouted, "That is no excuse for hitting her! She's only five!" She let go of Jimmy and picked Bryton up. "Come on. Brookie is going to make you some ice cream. How's that sound?" "Good," Bryton sobbed, hugging her. "You're staying in her till I deiced what do to you, Jimmy," Brooke said to her brother. Bryton stuck her tongue out at him and Brooke said, "No. Don't do that." Then she left for the kitchen, shutting Jimmy's door behide herself.

"OH MY GOD! I'VE BEEN RAPED!" Brooke shouted when a noise caused her to wake up. Nny stared at her strangely and turned back to the TV. Brooke looked over at him and watched as he munched on chips. Her stomach hurt from hungry. Nny heard it make a noise and looked at her. "You hungry?" he asked. "No," she said rudely. He held the bag of chips out and she looked at it as if it were disease-ridden.

"It's not poisoned," he said to her. Brooke sighed and stood up from the floor, walking to the couch Nny sat on. She stared at the bag and reached inside cautiously. She took some chips out and bit into one with her eyes closed. She bit into another and opened her eyes. "You're a strange one," Nny muttered, turning back to his show. Brooke looked at the TV screen. She didn't really care about what was on. "Could…could you turn the…" she began. She and Nny exchanged looks and she finished, "Channel?" "No," Nny said.

"I miss home," she muttered, walking away and sitting next to the window. "It's like when Jimmy tries to hog the TV." She chuckled at the memory of having to turn the channel from her little brother. Bryton entered her mind and she frowned.

"I'll take good care of her, Brooke," Lizzie said, putting an arm around Bryton. "Don't worry!" "Bye, Bryton," Brooke sighed, kissing her sister on the forehead. "Where are you going again?" Bryton asked her. "I'm gonna find your older brother, Bryton," Brooke answered. "Who wants him back?" Bryton said. "He's mean!" Brooke chuckled and ruffled her kid sister's hair. "I miss him eating all the ice cream," Brooke laughed Lizzie laughed too and said, "I do hope you find him. Matter how great it is without him." Brooke frowned. "He has been gone for such a long time… I miss him a lot." Brooke nodded and began to walk away. She added to herself, "Anyways, it's what Mum and Dad would want." "Bye, Brookie!" shouted Bryton. "Come back with Jimmy, kay?" Lizzie said, "And don't come back till you have him! I'll set my dogs on you if you come back empty handed: All five of 'em!" Brooke chuckled, she knew that Lizzie was only kidding; that's what made her happy inside.

Brooke woke up to the sound of Squee. He was under her window. "Hello," Brooke muttered to him, smiling. "Hi, Brooke," Squee said. "How are you?" "Good, and how are you?" Brooke said. "Daddy's locked me out of the house, again," Squee said. "That's not good. Wanna come inside?" Brooke yawned. Squee shook his head. "Come on, Johnny's not home." Squee thought about that and said, "But it's scary." "I'm here!"

Brooke held out her hands for Squee. He looked at them and thought on it. "OK, but I'm not moving from here," Squee said, taking her hands. Brooke lifted him onto the window and let him move to the floor. He looked around the place in fear and said, "I want out now!" "Squee, don't worry," Brooke said. She sat on the floor and said, "What'cha wanna do, Squee?" Squee shrugged. "How 'bout Imaginary?" Brooke tried. "What's Imaginary? I've never heard of it," Squee asked, sitting down in front of her.

"Squee, give me your hands," Brooke said, holding hers out. Squee put his in hers and she closed her fingers around his own. "Now, close your eyes." Squee watched as Brooke closed her midnight eyes and he followed. "Think of something. Anything: Doesn't matter what," Brooke asked Squee to do. "Um…Grass," Squee said. "Hm… Okay. Now I'll say something… Jimmy," she said, saying the first thing that popped into her hand. "Brooke, who's Jimmy?" Squee asked her. "My brother; he's tall, has black hair, freckles, thin-I'll just stop there," Brooke chuckled. "Now what?" Squee asked.

Nny walked quietly back to his house from the store he had been at. In his hand was a cold Cherry Brainfreezy. In his mouth was its straw. He sucked on it slowly as not to give himself a brain freeze as the drink suggested. He turned to his house and walked up to it. Nny opened the door.

"Um…Pepito walked up and punched Jimmy," Nny heard. "'What was that for?' Jimmy shouted at him, picking him up," said another voice. "'I'll kill you!' Pepito shouted. He kicked him and ran off, laughing." "Jimmy started to run after him when Brooke grabbed hold of him." "'Let go!' Jimmy shouted." "'Why?' Brooke chuckled, dragging him back home. 'I'm missing you eating…all the…ice…cream..." "'No!' Jimmy shouted."

Nny heard silence.

"Brooke?" he heard the first voice say. "Brooke, you let go of my hands…and opened your eyes!" "Squee, I'm done playing," said the second voice. "But that was fun, Brooke!" "Squee, you should leave now." "Brooke, I want to play Imaginary!" "Squee! I said leave!" There was silence again as Nny heard footsteps. "Bye, Brooke," said the voice. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow if Daddy doesn't do something to me again."

Nny waited for the silence to end, it freaked him out. He was about to say something to end it himself when he heard it.

Sort crying.  
Soft words.  
"Jimmy…Jimmy…I miss you so much…Why did you have to go after him? Why? Why…"


	5. Chapter 5

"

Chapter Five:

"Damnit, Jimmy," Brooke muttered as she held her hands over her dripping eyes. She felt her tears drip down to the floor in silence. She could only hear her crying, her words, her own breathing. "Damn you, Jimmy! Why did you have to leave like that? Scaring Bryton! Scaring Lizzie! Most importantly: Scaring me, damnit!" Brooke cried, pulling her knees close and digging her head into them, her hair falling over her face. "Please be alive, Jimmy. Please be alive…," she repeated to herself.

"Hi, Brooke," said a voice. Brooke looked up. The man in front of her stared down at her and said, "What's up?" "What do you thinks up, Johnny?" Brooke snapped, wiping her tears. "My brother disappeared, I can't find him anywhere! And now I'm crying, God damnit!" Brooke shouted, almost tearing her hair out. Nny stared down at her. "Can I be left alone?" Brooke asked in a horse voice from shouting. Nny just walked away.

"Damn you!" Jimmy shouted at Brooke. "Give that back to me!" "No, Jimmy Anderson!" Brooke shouted, holding a knife away from her brother. "I told you no!" "I paid a lot of money for that!" Jimmy shouted, reaching for it. Brooke held him away and said, "I told you: Killing is wrong!" "Damn right it is!" Jimmy chuckled, leaping for the knife. He knocked Brooke backwards and she shouted in pain.

"Brooke!" Jimmy said, taking the knife from her shoulder. Brooke gripped it as blood seeped out. "Brooke, I-I-!" "Shut the hell up, Jimmy!" Brooke shouted at him, standing up. Her shoulder stung and she glared at him. "Jimmy, is this what you want to happen? Your family hurt?!" "No!" Jimmy answered. "Look at it!" Brooke shouted, removing her hand from her shoulder. Jimmy bit his lip as he looked at the gash and blood flow. Brooke put her hand back and said, "Get me something, God damnit!" Jimmy nodded and rushed to the bathroom.

Brooke fell to the ground and felt the pain kicking in. "Shit!" she murmured, not too loud in case her little sister came by. "It hurts," she muttered when she heard footsteps. "I know it does, damnit," Jimmy muttered back. Brooke closed her eyes as he titled her to her back. "AH!" she cried when something stung her wound. "You're gonna bring the pain in here-!" "Jimmy, what's wrong with Brookie?" came Bryton's voice. "Nothing wrong with Brookie," Brooke muttered. "Back off, Bryton," Jimmy hissed. "Jimmy..." Brooke warned. "Don't speak! I'm not that happy!" Jimmy hissed at her.

Brooke felt that old scar on her shoulder sting again. She sat next to the window as she had the whole night. She lifted her sleeve and looked at her left shoulder. The large scar reminded her of him: reckless, bloodthirsty Jimmy.

Brooke sighed again and stared out the window at Squee's house. 'I want out,' she thought. 'But Johnny would kill me.' Brooke remembered she had not heard from Johnny in a long time. 'I wonder where he is?' she thought, rolling her sleeve down and standing up.

She looked down the stairs. 'He may be down there,' she thought, putting her foot on the first step, and then tearing backwards. 'No!' she told herself. 'Don't go there! That's where he does IT.'

"Stupid!" Jimmy shouted, flicking his middle finger in Brooke's face. "What I do to you know?" Brooke snapped, grabbing his hand. Jimmy bit his lip from she began to curl his middle finger in a painful manner. "Let go!" Jimmy shouted, waving his finger out of her grasp.

'I gotta do it!' Brooke said, moving downstairs. 'Maybe he's not here.' She closed her eyes, put her hands on the walls and walked down the steps. Brooke ignored everything and just talked to someone special in her hand..

"Brooke, you're stupid."  
"What the hell, Jimmy!"  
"What?"  
"You're stupid! You ran away!"  
"I did it to meet Nny! And I did!"  
"How'd it go?"

'This place isn't that bad.' Brooke walked slowly as she edged into the room she knew Nny killed people in. She felt the creeps coming down here.

"Brooke?"  
"Yeah?"  
"How's Bryton doing?"  
"Why do you care? You never did like her."  
"She is my little sister."  
"Big brother role kickin' in after ten years?"  
"Just answer the fucking question, Brooke."

The conversation felt like she was only controlling herself. It was if Jimmy was really with her; talking with her, the way he did when he was ten, before Bryton was born. Back when he was innocent. 'Before all this shit happened.'

As she walked, Brooke tripped over a large box. She hit the hard floor and looked at the object. She kicked it into her view. It made some noises, as if silverware was hitting each other inside.

Brooke felt everything in her body shut off.

_I don't believe in fairy tales, and no one wants to got to hell_


	6. Chapter 6

"But how did you're visit to Johnny go, before I answer your question?"  
"Why not me first?"  
"Cause I'm older and said so, bitch."  
"*chuckle* Well…"

Brooke looked at the box: …And saw something behide it in a closet area, sticking out.

"Brooke! It did not go well!"

"JIMMY!" Brooke screamed at the top her lungs, her pupils disappearing in her midnight eyes. "JIMMY!"

"Jimmy!"  
"What, Brooke?"

Brooke made one of the gasp you would only hear in those horror movies when someone dies, like when a girl sees her true love killed by the major killer.  
She repeated her brother's name again and leaped to her feet.

"Don't be dead! Don't be dead!"  
"I'm right here, dumbass!"

Unbreathing.  
Lifeless.  
Brooke felt tears form in her eyes.

Brooke and Jimmy laughed with each other. Bryton came into the living room and asked why they were laughing. "Cause," Brooke said, smiling at Jimmy. She had not seen him smile-like really smile for real-in almost nine years. It was if everything was back to normal like before. And it wasn't one of those shit-ass grins he got when he killed or raped. Brooke jumped forward and hugged him. "I love you, Jimmy," she said into his ear. And she looked over at Bryton. "And I love you too, Bryton."

"Why?" Brooke cried, holding something in her hands, in her lap. "Why?" Her eyes were almost at the point of leaking.

"Hey, Jimmy," Brooke said to her little brother as he sat on his bed. "What's wrong?" she asked after a few moments of silence. He did not reply. Brooke sat next to him and said, "Tell Brookie-girl what's wrong." Jimmy's eyes grew teary and he threw his head into her lap, crying hard. "Jimmy, what's wrong?" Brooke asked him. He raised his head alittle and said, "Mommy's pregnant again." "Yeah," Brooke said. "What if this time…" Jimmy drifted off. "What if this time what?" "What if this time…" Jimmy said, tears forming in his eyes. As he began the next part, they rolled down his little freckled face. "WHAT IF THIS TIME THE BABY ISN'T A DUD!" he shouted. "Jimmy, you shouldn't want it to be a dud," Brooke said, but he just cried harder and Brooke said, "Sshh...Come here."

Jimmy nodded and sat in her lap. Brooke put an arm around him and wiped a tear from his eye. "Now…" Brooke said sweetly to him, looking into his sad little eyes. "What's wrong if it's not a dud? You could be a big brother." "Well, Mommy might not love me anymore," Jimmy muttered. "Mommy will always love you, Jimmy. You know what?" "What?" "I had the same thought when I was three, before you were born. I thought Mum and Dad would not love me anymore, too. But…they still do," Brooke said. Jimmy nodded and wiped his eyes. "But-!"

"No buts, Jimmy," Brooke chuckled, tapping his nose. "Or else." "Or else what?" he asked. "This!" Brooke laughed, lunging at him and tickling his sides. Jimmy laughed hard and said, "Stop it, Brookie-girl! Stop it!" "Nope!" Brooke laughed, tickling him harder. She stopped and Jimmy lunged at her, causing her to fall off his bed and onto the carpet floor. He jumped on her and tickled her back, laughing. Brooke giggled and she tickled him back.

Brooke heard a noise. "Johnny?"

Jimmy sat on Brooke's lap in the hospital waiting room. He had his head leaning backwards, half-awake. "Brookie-girl?" he asked. "Yeah, Jimmy-boy?" Brooke replied. "What if Mommy does stop loving me?" "Jimmy Anderson, I told you to forget that!" Jimmy nodded. Brooke hugged him. "Anyways," she said. He stared into her eyes as she said the rest…

Brooke looked at the man's head in her lap. Her tears fell on his face and she whispered to the dead person, "I will always love you, Jimmy. And God will, too." She could not take her mind off the hospital waiting room, ten years ago. She heard thirteen-year-old Brooke tell ten-year-old Jimmy the rest.

"I'm always gonna be here for you, Jimmy. If you became some stupid gothic freak, who shoots people and rapped! I'd still love you: And you know why?" "Why?" she remembered the little boy, ask her. Brooke cried harder as she remembered tickling him, Jimmy laughing and her saying, "Cause I'm your big sister, Jimmy-boy! Duh!"

"I love you, Jimmy," she had said. "I love you, too, Brooke," Jimmy had replied, hugging Brooke.

Brooke made one of those gasps again. She stared down at the man's face in her lap, her tears on his skin. The man's face was the face she had watched her whole life, watched grow into a sweet little boy, into a rebel teenager, into a killer as an adult. The whole time, she had never once hated him. She always loved him.

Jimmy was dead. He was the man in her lap. She heard those noises again. She did not look past the face below her. She held it dearly. "Johnny," she said, knowing who had moved. "Johnny?" She heard some acknowledgement. "Johnny, who killed him?" Brooke asked.

Nny made no noises. "Who killed my brother?" Nny did not reply. "Why's Jimmy dead!" she screamed, leaning her hair over her face, crying as hard as hell. "WHY!" "He was killed, Brooke," Nny finally answered. ""Johnny, who killed him?" Brooke asked, trying to stay calm.

"Stupid!" Brooke shouted as Jimmy knocked down Lizzie and hers sandcastle at the beach. "Jimmy!" their mom shouted at her little toddlers. Jimmy laughed and shot his water gun at them. He ran off and laughed.

Brooke's gut twisted. "Brooke," Nny said. "What?" she asked. "I killed Jimmy," he whispered. She didn't look up at him. She cried harder and harder.

"Jimmy, you're not dead!"  
"Yes I am!"  
"I'm looking at you!"  
"Ha HA!"

"NO!!" Brooke cried in the real world. She was taking the facts in:

She was staring into her dead brother's face. And it was real.


	7. Chapter 7

_Mom,  
I can barely speak to you today. My life is over. My soul burnt out. My world dead.  
Why? I can hear you asking that question. Why is your daughter so dead?  
Mom, you're going to be really sad about this, as am I. I am crying as we speak._

Mommy, Jimmy's dead.

Brooke looked up at Nny for the first time. "What did you say?" she stammered, gripping her brother's lifeless hand. The tears rolling down her face were uncontroably painful to her. She felt dead looking down.

"Johnny?" she asked. "Answer me please." Nny did not look at her and tried not to either. He did not like watching her cry; it almost brought even the maniac to near tears.

"Nny?" she asked, hoping he wanted her to call him by that, and that would make him repeat his answer. "Who did you say killed me brother?"

Nny was silent. 'She's taking it pretty well,' he thought. 'Most people would have a fit over this.'

Brooke had that feeling. That feeling that she knew the truth and did not need Nny to tell her it. She knew she knew who had killed Jimmy.

Johnny C. the man her brother wanted to be so much like, had done the deed.

Brooke stared at Nny. The killer stared back. She tried to not cry and yell at him. "Jimmy," she muttered, looking down at his familiar face, now so cold and pale. "Jimmy, I told you to stay home," she whispered to the person, as if he could hear her. "I told you the real world was far worse then you thought. I told you, Jimmy," and Brooke broke into harder tears then before.

"Bye!" "Where the hell are you going, Jimmy Anderson?" Brooke shouted, grabbing hold of her brother's large case. "I'm going to see Nny. I know where he is now!" Jimmy said happily. "No!" Brooke shouted. "Stay here, with your family!" "No, I want to go!" "It's cruel out there!" "Brooke, let go! You never let me do anything! Just let me do this one thing!" "Jimmy…" "Please, I'll write if that's what you want!"

"Leave me," Brooke muttered to Nny. She hoped the noises she heard were him leaving.

She remembered crying after he left. She remembered Bryton asking where Jimmy was, why she was crying, what had happened. She remembered telling Bryton the facts, hugging her sister as the girls cried.

She stared into his lifeless face, crying. She did not blame Nny for killing him. She knew he most likely could not help it. He was a homicide, after all. However, so cruelly! Jimmy's chest was smashed, cut open, the blood that had once lived there: Gone.

She felt her hand tighten around Jimmy's hand. The conversation in her head went on.

"Jimmy."  
"Yeah?"  
"I love you, you knew that right?"  
"Duh. You say that every day to me and the pain."  
"I've never wanted to say it more to you, Jimmy. I'll miss you."  
"Don't blame ya."  
"Bye."  
"Good-bye."


	8. Chapter 8

The end.  
That is what this chapter is.  
The end of the story about a girl looking for her brother. A girl who found him, but not in the way she wanted.

Brooke Anderson did not smile as she walked away from Nny's house. Brooke felt lifeless as she remembered what she had found there. She remembered Bryton and Lizzie's happy faces. As soon as she saw them the next day, she would not tell them what had gone on in the little town Brooke was in. She would just cry and hold them close.

Brooke stopped walking, looked ahead, and watched, as she seemed to be standing in a large hall. She heard silence. "Ha! I win, Jimmy-boy!" laughed a teenager across the hall from her to a smaller boy, leaning over his seat. The boy pouted and said, "Re-do!" "Jimmy-boy, no more!" the teenager laughed, ruffling his hair. "We need to wait for Mum to call us in to see our new sibling." "But, Brookie-girl!" the boy whined. "No, Jimmy-boy!" she teased, taping his nose.

Brooke sniffled and looked ahead at them. The two siblings laughed some more and the little boy got his way. The teenager held her hands out. He gripped them and they both closed their eyes. "Swamps," she heard the boy say. "Love," the teenager muttered back. "We can't fight with love!" the boy said, opening his eyes.

Brooke put her hands in her pockets and watched the rest unfold as she remembered it:

A doctor came out and the two looked at him. "How's my new little bro? Or little sis?" the teenager asked him. The boy leaned over his seat more, smiling widely at the doctor. "Can we see Mommy now?" The doctor did not look happy. In fact, he looked the way you would not look after a birth.

"Sir, whaz wrong?" the teenager asked, frowning. The boy kept smiling, not getting what was happening. The doctor sighed and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. She stared at it and looked back up, her head spinning.

Brooke bit her lip as she heard the words, how carelessly the doctor had told them as if nothing had happened:

"My dears, I am very sad to inform you two that your mother passed away during birth. The baby is fine, but she is…gone."

Brooke saw the look on the boy's face. His smile shrank and the teenager bit her lip in the exact same way Brooke did. "Mommy?" the boy whispered. "Jimmy…" the teenager began, her eyes swelling up as she turned-!

"JIMMY!"  
"SHUT UP!" the boy shouted, jumping out of his seat and running headlong towards Brooke. "Mr. Anderson, get back here!" shouted the doctor. The teenager screamed his name louder and Brooke felt the memory slow down. The boy kept getting closer and closer. As he neared, she breathed out.

The boy ran through her. He stopped in that same spot Brooke remembered. He sniffled and cried as he stood there. Brooke turned around and felt her arms wrap around him. The boy turned around, causing Brooke to shimmer in mist. "I want Mom!" he shouted.

Brooke felt it all go back to normal and she was again in front of Squee's house. She stared over at it. The door opened and she saw Squee run out. A man followed as the boy ran to the girl. "Don't come back!" shouted the man, slamming the door. Squee hugged Brooke's knees and she stared down at him. "Squee, who was that?" "Daddy."

Squee looked so sad, gripping onto her leg. She leaned down and hugged him, to his surprise. Brooke held him at a caring distance and said, "Don't worry, Squee." He looked at her and she said, "Wanna play Real Imaginary?" "What's that?" Squee asked her.

Brooke stood up and said, "Take me hand." Squee took it and she said, "Good." Brooke put her other hand in her pocket.

She felt something. "Let go for a sec," she told Squee, letting her grip go. She dug into her pocket and pulled out something. She opened her fist and-there in her palm-was a piece of paper.

Squee watched with his bear as she unfolded it. She looked at the writing and read in her mind: Brooke, sorry I wasn't so nice when you were here. I am sorry for killing your brother, Jimmy. I couldn't help it, you would've done the same thing, I am sure. I hope I run into someone as nice as you some day. Who knows? Maybe we will meet again in this life, or the next.

Brooke turned around and stared at the top window in the house. She smiled and put the paper in her bag. She raised her hand and waved at the window, not knowing whether of not he was there. She did not care: It felt good. She hoped he saw it.

"Take my hand again, Squee," Brooke said, with renewed happiness and a caring smile that lit up her beautiful face. Squee took her hand again and Brooke held a briefcase with a band sticker on it in her other. She looked back once more at the window and sighed, smiling.

"Let's go, Squee," she said. "Where are we going?" Squee asked as they began to walk.

"Home."

Up in the window, someone waved back to Brooke's back. He liked to see her smile. He wondered what would become of Squee, and where the girl was taking him. Nevertheless, he knew it had to be good, better than the hell the little boy had to deal with daily.

"Bye, Brooke Anderson," Nny whispered. "Have a nice life."

THE END.


End file.
